


hold me tight (this night might not come again)

by papercraned



Category: GOT7
Genre: Confessions, Fluff, M/M, Mark is a modern day romantic poet, Power Outage, Theatre Artist!Jinyoung, Writer!Mark, and that is not an exaggeration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-04-06 01:08:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19052182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/papercraned/pseuds/papercraned
Summary: Jinyoung was the silver lining in his dark and thunderous night. If he was the sunlight, Mark was the sunflower, inexorably pulled towards him like a moth to a flame-"Are you waxing lyrical about my ass again?" Jinyoung deadpanned, breaking Mark out of his soliloquy.





	hold me tight (this night might not come again)

**Author's Note:**

> Title is taken and translated from the hindi song Lag Ja Gale. It's part inspiration and soul behind this fic! I would highly recommend listening to it - I particularly like [this](https://gaana.com/song/lag-ja-gale-sanam) rendition the best! though I would also suggest listening to the [original version](https://www.hungama.com/song/lag-ja-gale-se-phir/1821617/) for the touch of antiquity.
> 
> I also created a [moodboard](https://in.pinterest.com/honeychuckles/hold-me-tight-this-night-might-not-come-again/) for this fic.  
> [English Translation](https://www.petervis.com/gallery/web/lag%20ja%20gale/lag%20ja%20gale.html) of the song, if anyone is interested.

_The candle flickered listlessly as the stub got smaller and smaller. The room was shrouded in darkness. The walls seemed to perspire in the midsummer night's heat. Sweat ran down Jinyoung's temple like dew drops on a flower, for he was the most fragrant and vibrant of them all, serenading all the bees hovering around._

 

That's what Mark thought, anyways. Others might call him an enamoured fool, but he was merely stating facts. _Jinyoung was the silver lining in his dark and thunderous night. If he was the sunlight, Mark was the sunflower, inexorably pulled towards him like a moth to a flame-_

 

"Are you waxing lyrical about my ass again?" Jinyoung deadpanned, breaking Mark out of his soliloquy.

 

"Huh? What gave you that idea?" Mark pshawed, surreptitiously fixing his glasses which had fallen down to his nose in the past five minutes.

 

"You got that dumb look on your face you always get when you write in your head, the specific dumb look which is reserved for me." Jinyoung added smugly.

 

Mark heaved a sigh, "Fine, fine. Guilty as charged. Could you really blame me though? That ass is effervescent."

 

"Tell me something new, Mister Tuan," Jinyoung tittered. But even in the dim lighting of the candle Mark could make out the slight blush on the boy's cheeks. It was too easy to flatter Jinyoung, and Mark never missed an opportunity to do just that, if only to see those apple cheeks rouge or a stray dimple cushioned in them.

 

With the power outage in the neighborhood, they had nothing much to do other than wait for the authorities to fix it. The steady rain didn't help the case, and their best bet was midnight. Until then, no electricity, hence no television, or computer, or internet. They had committed to save their phone batteries in case of any emergency. And so they had nothing left to do other than sit in silence in each other's company.

 

Without the daily distractions of life, it gave Mark plenty of time and space to evaluate the boy sitting beside him. Park Jinyoung was a curious case. He had always intrigued Mark, ever since he first met him in his freshman year of college. Mark was a Literature major while Jinyoung majored in Theatre and Dramatics. As a result, they shared a class on Cinema and Film Appreciation. By happenstance, they sat together in the first lecture and immediately hit off.

 

Immediately might be a bit of stretch, given that they are both reserved and quiet people by nature and didn't communicate straight away. But Mark came to university to widen his horizons, which included doing away with his social anxiety. So, he took the first step and introduced himself. Fortunately, Jinyoung seemed eager to reciprocate, and soon after their conversation flowed naturally. It was the best part of Mark's day, and marked the start of a wondrous and wholesome friendship for which he was grateful.

 

It was surprising to find that despite of their similar majors their interests varied diametrically. They shared and gained from each other, and explored avenues neither of them had before. Jinyoung was with him at every step in the way of his college life, and never failed to indulge Mark despite of his differing opinions on the subject matter.

 

Jinyoung was bright and vibrant. While he was more of an introspective kind, he was loud and animated on stage. He made it his home, where he performed and delivered with a feverish passion. That passion always reflected in his performances, and made a blinding kaleidoscopic rainbow of raw emotions. This mixture of subdued blues and indigos and exuberant reds and yellows sucked in Mark like a whirlpool. It was impossible to delay the inevitable, and Mark's feelings for Jinyoung hit him in full force, sending him reeling off the course.

 

Here they were, after graduation with working jobs who shared an apartment and Mark has yet to fess up about his feelings. He could write pages after pages about Park Jinyoung, but he is never able to articulate his feelings to say them to the latter's face. Mark was afraid of losing the best thing that has ever happened to him, this beautiful friendship built on bone deep trust and mutual support. While that trust warranted Mark to be truthful on his part about his feelings, the fear of losing Jinyoung completely held him back. _Jinyoung was way out of his league anyways, colourful and luminous who filled the grey and colourless spots in Mark's canvas of a heart. A hummingbird whose call Mark couldn't help but respond to every time, hearkening after him like the other end of a compass-_

 

"You are doing it again, aren't you?" Jinyoung muttered, all white teeth peeking at him behind the alcove of his hands that blanketed his smile.

 

Mark flushed. They joked around like that a lot, Jinyoung making fun of Mark's blank stares which more often than not were directed towards him. He always took it in stride, in good humor. Little did he know about the genuineness behind it. Or maybe he did, and chose to ignore it in an effort to not lead Mark on and-

 

 _No_ , Mark thought. He was not pursuing that thought any further. He knew his worth in Jinyoung's life, and wouldn't make the mistake of questioning it ever again. He had voiced out his insecurities about being unworthy of Jinyoung's companionship once before, after the latter's first professional stage play after college. It was a hit, and after Jinyoung's last monologue the theatre broke out into a thunderous applause. Mark quickly went backstage to congratulate him.

 

"Hyung!" Jinyoung exclaimed, coming out of the wings, glowing in the aftertaste of the performance. He wrapped Mark into a hug, enveloping him in his sweet warmth which was a permanent fixture of his personality.

 

"Congratulations, Nyoung," Mark grinned. "You were amazing," He added, smiling softly. Jinyoung was beautiful all the time, but when he performed he was a different level of beautiful, exuding charm and talent and commanding the spotlight to shine on him, and just him.

 

"Thank you so much, Hyung. I'm really glad you came, it means a lot to me." Jinyoung said, smiling shyly with twin whiskers indenting under his eyes.

 

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world-"

Mark was interrupted by one of Jinyoung's co-actors shouting from behind, "Hey Jinyoung! We are going out for dinner and drinks to celebrate our first hit, let's go!"

 

Mark's heart plummeted to his stomach. He had himself planned a dinner for him and Jinyoung, as a surprise for him to celebrate his first professional performance. But of course, Jinyoung ought to go with his new friends, his crew, who matched his passion and fervor and could relate to him better than Mark could. For so long it was just them against the world, they stuck with each other through their highs and lows, still do. But now that they were adults the circle has expanded, and Mark needs to let go of his comfort zone.

 

"I guess that's my cue to leave, have fun, Jinyoung." Mark smiled ruefully. But as he turned to leave, he felt a tug on his sleeve.

 

"No, Hyung wait." Jinyoung said, tugging on his sweater again. "Where are you going?"

 

"Home? Aren't you supposed to go out with your friends?" Mark said.

 

"But I want to spend tonight with you, Hyung. I can go out with them another time." Jinyoung said.

 

"But..why? It's your big night. You should go celebrate with them." Mark asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

 

"Because I want to celebrate with you, Hyung. You have been one of the prime reasons I have been able to perform so well. Of course I want to celebrate with you first, of all people." Jinyoung said, big earnest eyes blinking at him.

 

Mark felt flushed. He was elated, but still couldn't figure out why Jinyoung would choose him. Hope has always been a treacherous thing, and he liked to hold it at an arm's length lest he ends up getting disappointed, as he has numerous times.

 

"But Jinyoung, you deserve to celebrate with people who are a part of your success and share your enthusiasm. I'm just going to bore you, plain old me," Mark joked, in a bid to diffuse any tension which that statement might create.

 

It didn't really work. Jinyoung looked at him with exasperation, "Really, Hyung? After all this time, you really think that? Now, listen to me clearly. You are not boring or plain, Mark Tuan. I have had some of the best moments of my life with you, and I still do. This moment is also a part of that, because you have been here since day one cheering for me and helping me through difficult times. You are too precious to me, Hyung. So don't ever question your worth in my life again, or I'll keep hitting your head till it gets  through your thick skull."

 

Mark was rendered speechless. He knew that Jinyoung cherished their friendship as much as he did, but this was the first time he ever expressed his feelings so boldly. He felt his inhibitions fall away, and realised how stupid he had been to think that he didn't hold a special place in Jinyoung's life as much as he did in Mark's. Once again, he felt his heart burst with gratitude and affection for the boy standing in front of him, who has always made him feel special.

 

Mark felt too choked up for words, so he just hugged Jinyoung tightly. He hugged him back just as tight, shielding him from his insecurities, putting his doubts to rest.

 

And that was that. Afterwards their relationship was stronger than ever, which they reflected through their actions daily. He was not letting go of Jinyoung easily, and knowing that Jinyoung was holding the other end of the rope just as tight was a salve which kept healing.

 

"Ugh, I am so bored. Hyung, do something," Jinyoung whined, plopping his head on Mark's lap.

 

This was a normal occurrence by now, but still something which never failed to send Mark's heart skydiving. He gently carded his hand through Jinyoung's smooth and thick locks. It was strange, they both used the same shampoo yet Mark was never able to get the same strong honey and peppermint fragrance which emanated from Jinyoung's hair.  

 

"Well, what do you suggest we do?" Mark inquired softly, maintaining the soft and tranquil atmosphere which seemed to surround them.

 

"The lights are out, the candles are lit...there's only one possible conclusion, after all," Jinyoung replied, eyes gleaming with something Mark couldn't quite put his finger on.

 

"And...that is?"

 

Jinyoung rolled his eyes, "Wow, I heard that writers were always way over in their head, but I didn't know they could be this dense. Hyung, I obviously mean a candlelight dinner!"

 

"Oh," Mark replied, feeling flustered all over. Him and Jinyoung went on coffee and dinner dates all the time, and he always assumed Jinyoung never read into them much and treated them as just friendly dates, and nothing else. But this, this felt more intimate. And real. "S-sure, let's do that."

 

"Yes! I'll set the table, you cook the food." Jinyoung said, positively glowing and bouncing on his feet.

 

"Ah, and by cook you mean heating up the leftovers from the take-out we ordered for lunch," Mark snorted.

 

"Well, I did tell you to sign up for that cooking class all those months ago. But we'll make do. You owe me a proper dinner for the next time, Mister Tuan," Jinyoung winked, and promptly went to the kitchen.

 

There was already the prospect of a next time, Mark thought. He didn't know how much he could take before his breath completely knocked out of his lungs.

 

They worked in comfortable silence. Finally, Mark brought the heated up food to the table. Jinyoung had done a great job of setting it up, a tablecloth with intricate designs covering the table with a large candelabra sitting in the middle. Delicate crockery which looked as ancient as he felt was neatly laid out. In addition, Jinyoung had also lit one of those scented candles and a sweet aroma wafted around them. A wine bottle with twin glasses on either ends of the table completed the whole scene. It had never felt more like a date than it did then. Mark was simultaneously thrilled and nervous.

 

"I didn't even know we owned this stuff, it looks beautiful." Mark said bashfully.

 

Jinyoung giggled, "These were the housewarming gifts from my mother. She is a true romantic at heart, perhaps she wanted to pass it down to her son as well. Don't know how good a job I'm doing of it, though," He said, nervously fidgeting with his fingers but eyes twinkling with the same unnamed emotion from before.

 

It was almost as if Jinyoung fully intended for this to be a _date_ date. The hope he had kept caged inside flapped its wings rapidly against the walls of his heart. And for once, Mark didn't protest against it, let it grow more and more.

 

Mark smiled. "Well, to me it looks like you are doing pretty great. I'm impressed, Mister Park."

 

Jinyoung's cheeks flushed and he chuckled softly, "I'm glad then. So, shall we begin?" He raised his wine glass for a toast.

 

"We shall," Mark said, clinking his glass against Jinyoung's.

 

They talked about everything and nothing. It had been a long time since they had sat together like this and talked about things both important and inane for hours on end. With how busy they had been, such moments were rare to come. Now with nothing to interrupt them, conversation flowed seamlessly.

 

It seemed that Jinyoung was thinking the same thing, as he voiced out his thoughts, "I missed this. Us talking like this. It's been too long since we last had even a proper meal together. We should do this more often." He said, grinning at Mark.

 

"Yeah, there should be more power outages like this, you mean," Mark teased, cocking an eyebrow.

 

"Sure, why not, if it means more candlelight dinners like these. I would love to have them," Jinyoung said, flashing that coy smile of his which bunched up his cheeks.

 

There he goes again, Mark thought. Even Mark wasn't that dense to miss out on those clear signals. Perhaps, there was a chance that his feelings were reciprocated. Mark realised his own fear which restrained him, held him back all these years. Today, his feelings which were carefully kept under wraps took their first tentative steps. He was tired of pretending, tired of hiding. If he let go of this opportunity, he will regret it till his last day.

 

But before he could retort, Jinyoung suddenly stood up.

 

"Mhmm, Let's dance, Hyung. You still got that vintage radio you brought back home from LA, right?" He said, while holding out a hand.

 

Jinyoung's cheeks were dusted pink, smiling lazily with a glazed sheen in his eyes. He held himself in the loose way he did when he was slightly intoxicated. Mark was feeling a little flushed and lethargic himself, but his heart raced at a steady pace. He took a last sip of his wine and took Jinyoung's hand, spurred on by liquid courage.

 

Together, they went towards the radio which sat upon a corner table. The radio housed a collection of vintage songs in its storage, and by some miracle it was still charged. Mark powered it up and turned the knob. Sweet, dulcet tones of an old song filled the air. Nostalgia and cloying melancholia settled in the room like a sheet of dust collected on old books.

 

Jinyoung gently guided Mark’s hands to rest on his waist, while his own sought purchase on the latter’s shoulders. They moved slow circles in tandem, lost in the antiquity created by the song and dim lighting. _The world collapsed into that single room, and the whole universe drowned in Jinyoung’s eyes, endless galaxies whirling inside them._ The lighting from the candles created half shadows on Jinyoung's face, and he was _beautiful, beautiful, beautiful._ Jinyoung's face was open and exuded pure, unadulterated adoration and affection. Mark could scarcely believe such boundless love was directed towards him, him and no one else. But it has always been like this, hasn't it? Right in front of his eyes. He couldn't believe how he could miss this. This game of push and pull, pull, pull that has always existed between them. Toeing around each other, while also slowly diminishing the distance between to naught.  

 

Jinyoung lifted his head from where it had made its home on Mark's shoulder, and looked into his eyes once again.

 

"Hyung," He said, shouted, whispered. Just that one word, and then the distance ceased to exist.

 

They moved as one, and pulled each other in. A hush fell over them as they kissed, while simultaneously each and every sound, each and every sensation amplified. It felt like coming home from a long day at work. It felt new as well as familiar, like opening a chest of past relics. Mark lost himself in the warm and cushioning feel of Jinyoung's lips, and wished for time to suspend in that moment alone, for eternity.

 

At last they pulled away, panting. His face felt as warm and Jinyoung's own looked, _an oil spill of reds and scarlets and cherries, from his cheeks to his supple, swollen lips._ Jinyoung fixed him with a stare which told him he knew what he was doing, but this time he looked less teasing and more fond.

 

"I guess it goes without saying but, I will have to spell it out for you, right? I love you, Hyung. I have been waiting to say this for so long," Jinyoung exhaled, all shy wrinkles and dimpled cheeks.

 

At the end, it didn't come as a shock. It settled inside him with a calm acceptance, like finally welcoming your loved one who has been far away, home. The tidal wave of emotions had already tipped a while back, and it was already flowing at a steady pace, with the confession stirring up but a few happy currents.

 

"Hmph, well since I need everything spelt out I guess you are too smart to understand on your own. I will not say anything, then," He teased, biting back a grin.

 

He felt more than he saw the pout settling on Jinyoung's lips. "Hyung," He whined.

 

Mark laughed, "Fine, you big baby. I love you, too."

 

Jinyoung smiled smugly, but Mark could see the dimple shyly poking out of his cheeks, the bashful flutter of his eyes.

 

"Why did you wait so long?" Mark asked.

 

"I was waiting for the right moment, I guess. We have been so busy, _you_ have been so busy with your manuscripts. For this, I needed you to focus on me, and only me. Today's power cut was a blessing in disguise," Jinyoung replied, eyes twinkling with the emotion Mark now knew. It was the same emotion his eyes reflected probably all the time.

 

"It's sounds as if you bribed someone to cut the power," Mark said, chuckling.

 

"Hmm, Maybe I did. You will never know," Jinyoung said, with an innocent smile pulled across his face while his eyes made mischievous wrinkles beneath them.

 

"Come here, you." Mark said, giggling and pulled Jinyoung in for another kiss.

 

In the end it has always been like this for Mark and Jinyoung, always teetering on the edge of something. All they needed was a gentle nudge towards the inevitable fall. And fall they did, into a boundless, limitless, endless love. Their love didn't need a definition or any parameter. It was theirs, and it was seamless, with no beginning or an end.

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing a markjin fanfic, and a fanfic in general. I'm still struggling with my writing style so I miiiight have overcompensated a little. Not sure if I was able to create the ambiance that I wanted, but I hope its still good to read. Hopefully I will continue writing for them and keep improving rather than vanishing from the face of ao3. No one else is going to write bollywood AUs for me other than myself, I suppose.


End file.
